Anders Behring Breivik carried out his killing spree whilst listening to a
composition by British musician Clint Mansell which he described as an
“incredibly powerful song” that would help suppress his fear.

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Breivik listened to Lux Aeterna on repeat on his iPod while murdering the young people at a summer campPhoto: REUTERS

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Thousands of people mass outside Oslo's City Hall for the vigilPhoto: AFP

In his 1500-page manifesto, the Norwegian Right wing extremist disclosed that he planned to put a composition called Lux Aeterna on repeat on his iPod and listen to it at the maximum volume while murdering the young people at a summer camp.

The well-known track has been used as background music on television shows including Britain’s Got Talent and on Sky Sports’s Soccer Saturday.

It was also used in a trailer for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and as the theme to Requiem for a Dream, a cult film about succumbing to drug addictions.

As Breivik described how he would prepare himself for his deadly rampage, he wrote: “I can’t possibly imagine how my state of mind will be during the time of the operation, though. It will be during a steroid cycle and on top of that; during an ephedrine rush, which will increase my aggressiveness, physical performance and mental focus with at least 50-60 per cent but possibly up to 100 per cent.

“In addition, I will put my iPod on max volume as a tool to suppress fear if needed. I might just put Lux Aeterna by Clint Mansell on repeat as it is an incredibly powerful song. The combination of these factors (when added on top of intense training, simulation, superior armour and weaponry) basically turns you into an extremely focused and deadly force, a one-man-army.”

Breivik said that he “loved” the piece, explaining that Lux Aeterna meant “eternal light” which he said was “an appropriate title”.

He went on: “I’ve listened to this track several hundred times and I never seem to get tired of it.

“The track is very inspiring and invokes a type of passionate rage within you. In Lord of the Rings – a good version of this track (Requiem for a Tower version which I think is the best) is performed during the most intense fighting of one of the central battles. Since it has worked for me, it is likely that it will work for you. An invigorating piece of art.”

The 32-year-old has spent a lot of time in London and is believed to have written the manifesto of Right-wing ranting in the capital.

In it, he references other favoured aspects of British culture including Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC’s Top Gear, which he described as “one of the funniest shows on TV”.

Under a section headed “The ideological journey – from indoctrinated multiculturalist zealot to Conservative Revolutionary” he lists an episode of Channel 4 documentary series Dispatches, called Undercover Mosque, under “Further studies”.

He also quotes Mark Steyn, a Canadian writer and right wing columnist, who referenced the July 7 bombers in his book America Alone: The End of the World as we Know it.

Steyn wrote: “When lifelong Torontonians are hot for decapitation, when Yorkshiremen born and bred and into fish 'n’ chips and cricket and lousy English pop music self-detonate on the London Tube, it would seem that the phenomenon of “re-primitivised man” has been successfully exported around the planet.”